Gap detector for railway switches



April 29, 1930. R. s. MOELHA'NE'Y 1,756,601

GAP DETECTOR FQR RAILWAY SWITCHES F'iied June 15. 1929 :1 INVENT DR RoberTS. NeE/haney 17% ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITE STAT ROBERT MCELHANEY, OF BARTON, OHIO GA]? DETECTOR FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES Application filed June 13,

This invention relatesto railway signals, and more particularly to a signal for indicating1 a gap between the switch point and the ra1 The primary object of the invention is to provide a signal of the above character having direct connection with the switch point for indicating the position of the latter relative to the main rails.

A further object of the invention is, to provide a signal of the character above mentioned which indicates to a locomotive engineer the fact that the switch points are open, thus affording a warning to prevent a train from running through an open switch which usually results in derailment of'the train.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a signal which is automatic in its operation and which is also provided with e means for manually opening or closing the switch independent of the signaling means.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combination 2 of elements which will hereinafterbe fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of the signal and actuating means connected to the'movable 3c switch points;

Figure 2 is a section on-line 22, Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section of the signal standard and mounting therefor;

Figure 4 is a rear elevationpartly in section of the signal actuating means;

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the manually controlled locking andactuating mechanism; o 1

Figure 6 is a plan View partly in section of a portion of the actuating mechanism;

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of the switch actuating rod and its associated parts; and a Figure 8 is a detail sectional elevation partly broken away of the latch mechanism.

Referring to said drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a pair of spaced standards provided with opposed elongated slots 50 2 intermediate their ends and havingtheir finger 20.

1929. Serial No. 370,561.

upper ends connected by a cap 3. Connect ing the lowerends ofthe standards and supported thereby is a base 4 for housing the usual switch actuating mechanism. Supported by the base and rising vertically thererom is a rod 5 having a socketed head 6 pro vided with a vertically extending arcuate slot 7. Extending through the cap 3 and seating within the head 6 is a vertically movable shaft 8 having a pin 9 adapted to slidably engage within the slot 7 A plate 10 having lugs 11 engaging in the slots 2 is loosely mounted on the shaft 8 and is adapted to support a flanged roller bearing collar 12, said collar engaging over a flanged collar 13 rigidly secured to the shaft 8.

Depending from the plate 10 are a pairof pivotally secured rods 14 havingtheir lower ends engaged and supported by a bell crank 15 mounted upon ashaft16 journaled in the standards. A lever 17 has one end connected to the bell crank and its opposite end connected to a pivoted lever 18-, said lever engaging with and adapted to actuate a sliding rod 19 having its free end provided'with a latch The latch 21 disposed adjacent'a main line track 22, said casting being provided with cored. hollow end pockets 23 located at opposite ends of the casting body, one of said pockets having the weight of a lever 33 vertically mov- H v able therein and the other pocket having finger 20 projects into a casting therein a vertically movable plunger rod 34, I

slidably engaged Within the slots 25. r The rod 7 26 has its opposite end 29formed'for engage- I I 7 ment with a movable switch point 30 and is secured to the latter by means of bolts 31 or other suitable fastening means.

The casting 21 is further provided with a longitudinally extending slot or pocket it v i 2 i Wh his pivotally mounted a weight ed lever 33 upon one end of which is pivotally mounted a plunger rod 34 for supporting a latch member 35 which is vertically slidable in a housing 36 formed integral with the casting. The lower end of member 27. The shaft 8' is provided with the usual signal lantern 38 and banner 39. 7 V

Extending rearwardly from the base 4 is a shaft 40 having secured thereto the usual signal actuating arm 41 which is adapted to engage in the customary U-sha-ped supporting members 42. One of these supporting members 42 is provided with a pivoted latch 43 having a foot pedal 44 formed integral therewith. Also secured to the latch 43 and forming a continuationof the foot pedal is an arm 45 having a rack 46 secured thereto, which latter is, adapted to mesh with a pinion 47 on the end of a shaft 48, the latter having its opposite end 49 journaled in the casting 21. A lever 50 is secured to the shaft 48 and is connected with a link 51 for actuating a bell crank member 52 for lifting the Weight lever 33 to retain the latch 35 in engagement with the latch 20 formed on the, rod 19 when the shaft 48 is rotated to a predetermined position.

' The'operation of the above described mechanism is as follows Assuming that the switch has been set and in some accidental manner the switch point is thrownout of contact with the rail, causing a gap therebetween, the switch point 30 inits lateral movement pulls therewith the attached rod 26, as shownin dotted lines in Fig. 7, causing the dog 37 to be moved laterally out of supporting engagement with the lever 33. The weighted lever 33 moves by gravity causing the plunger rod 34 to move upward and, at the limit of vertical movement ,ofsaid plunger rod 34 with respect to the latch 35,;the enlarged lower end of said rod34 engages said latch r 35 suddenly' jerking the latter but of engage ment'with the latch20. The weightof the lantern 3 8 and associated mechanism is thus released, allow1ng the'same to dropby gravity through the downwardmovement ofthe bell crank 15 andthe link-me hanism shownin Fig. 4. During the downward movement of thelamp 38 and shaft 8, the pin 9 follows tlie'spiraljgroove 7 thus imparting to the lantern and banner a quarter turn to indicate an open or a gapping switch.

When it is desired to manually set the swit h independent of the gap indicating sigp na1,the operation is 218 renew half revolution for opening or closing the switch. When the latch 43 is released, the movement imparted to the rack 46 rotates the pinion 47 and thereby the shaft 48 for moving the bell crank 52to the dotted line posie tion shown in Fig. 6, for lifting the weight lever 33, thus retaining the latch 35' in engagement with the arm 19 to prevent downward movement of the shaft 8 as in the case of accidental opening of the switch points.

A weight 54 is preferably located on the arm 45 for facilitating lowering of said arm when desired.

. A suitable weatherproof cover (not shown) inay be employed for housing the casting 21 andits associated mechanism.

' 'What is claimed is p 1. A gap indicating signal for railway switches or the like, comprising a vertically movable signal, rockable means for supporting'said signal, and means connecting the switch and said rockable means to release the latter and thereby the signal upon accidental movement of the switch.

2. A gap indicating signal for railway switches or the like, comprising gravity actuated signal means, releasable supporting means for the signal, and means connected tothe switch for actuating the supporting means to permit the signal to drop by gravity upon accidental movement of the switch.

3. A railway switch signal comprising a housing switch actuating mechanism within said housing, a vertical standard mounted on said housing, a socketed headzcarried by the upper end of said standard,,a signal standard having its lower end mounted for l vertical reciprocating and rotatable movement within said head, releasable means for supporting the signal standard, and actuating means for connecting the switch and the releasable supporting 'means whereby acci dental movement of the switch permits the signal to drop and to be rotated by gravity when the switch is accidentally'opened.

4. A gap indicating signal for railway switches, comprising a' vertical standard, a

soclceted head secured to the upper end of said standard and having a vertically extending arcuate slot therein, a second standard mounted for reciprocating movement within said headhavinga piniadaptedto Q engage within said slot, releasable means for supporting the second standard in its elevated position, and means connected to and actuated by the switch for releasingthe signal supporting means, thereby permitting the latter to drop by gravity to indicate accidental opening of the switch. A ilwayr signal of heJ-characterd scribed comprising a standard,.a vertically movable shaft carried by said standard, a

signal on said shaft, means connecting the standard and shaft for rotating the lat ter when the same is moved by i a'l movable switch point, and means connecting the switch and standard for automatically actuating said signal.

6. A railway signal of the character described, comprising a movable switch, a manually controlled signal, means connecting the switch and signal, a casing, a movable latch connecting the signal and having an'end disposed within the casing, a weight controlled arm engaging said latch, means for retaining the weight controlled arm in engagement with said latch, and releasable means connecting the switch and weight controlled arm for releasing the latter upon accidental movement of the switch.

7. The combination of a signal and movable switch, including a standard, a vertically shiftable and rota-table shaft supported by said standard, a signal on said standard, releasable means for elevating the shaft, manually controlled means for actuating the standard and shaft, and means connecting the switch and said releasable elevating means to automatically actuate the latter upon accidental movement of the switch.

8. A railway signal of the character described comprising a standard, a vertically shiftable shaft rotatably supported on said standard, a movable switch point, means connecting the switch point and signal, and gravity means for automatically actuating the signal upon failure of the switch point to seat with respect to the adjacent track rail.

9. A railway signal of the character described comprising a manually controllable rotary signal, a movable switch point, means connecting the switch point and signal, means for manually setting the switch point and signal, and gravity actuated means for automatically rotating the signal independent of the manually controlled means upon failure of the switch point to seat with respect to the adjacent track rail.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

ROBERT S. MCELHANEY. 

